Ahead of the 2022 Federal Budget, in a speech being delivered at the Australia Institute today ACTU President Michele O’Neil will argue that the Morrison Government have failed Australian workers in their handling of the economy.
Under this Government, an Australian worker earning the average annual income of $68,000 has had their wages go backwards by $832 in real terms.
Accelerating inflation and the proliferation of insecure work under Coalition rule has led to record low wage growth for nine years.
The breakdown by industry is even more shocking; workers in the transport, postal and warehousing industry had their wages effectively cut by $1497 in 2021 – the same workers who continued tirelessly through the pandemic despite risk of exposure.
Appallingly, they weren’t the only heroes of the pandemic whose pay was slashed last year: full time health and social assistance workers experienced an effective wage cut of $967.
Education and training workers lost $1362, while admin and support services workers’ wages decreased by $1185.
The Morrison Government must stop peddling the fictitious claim that they can be trusted with managing Australia’s economy, while wages in Australia have gone effectively backwards and job insecurity is rife, and multiple job holding is at a record high.
Quotes attributable to ACTU President Michele O’Neil:
“The Morrison Government will try to use their numbers on budget night to tell their well-worn fictional tale of being the best economic managers, but there is far too much evidence to the contrary.
“There has been very inconvenient numbers at the heart of every Budget this Government has delivered that puts a hole in their claim to be trusted on economic management.
“Every year, for nine years, this Government has failed to bring us a budget that takes into real consideration the livelihood and wellbeing of working Australians, including those who got us through the pandemic.
“The pandemic was an opportunity to rebuild the Australian economy on a foundation of secure, adequately paid jobs – The Morrison Government have squandered every opportunity to do so thus far.
“We’ve had nearly a decade of record low wage growth, and nearly a decade of this Coalition Government. That’s no coincidence.”
